Fashionable Colors - Color Therapy

February 10, 2004

Contributor article by Elizabeth HarperWe all have our own fashion style, but did you realize your choice of colors may actually reveal more about you than just your tastes or that the colors you wear may even affect your moods? It is now accepted that color can be used to stimulate or inhibit certain behaviors.

Advertising executives are well aware that a product can have a completely different impact if the color of the packaging is changed. Psychologists have found that certain colors in our immediate environment can help us perform some tasks. For example, exercise is best performed in an environment of warm colors, such as reds and oranges, whereas the tranquil blues and greens are ideal for mental concentration.Quite often the sayings in the English language have tapped into a deeper interpretation of the colors. Red with rage, green with jealousy, purple passion, feeling blue, he is yellow, are well known to most people. However, each color has a cornucopia of meanings associated with it. If you would like to understand what some of the common colors mean see the chart.Your Choice of ColorSwiss psychiatrist Carl Jung encouraged his patients to use color in their paintings to express the deepest unconscious part of their psyches. We all go through ?favorite color? phases. It has been discovered that personality traits are reflected by your preferred color. Extroverts favor red, introverts prefer blue, yellow is the choice of intellectuals, and well-balanced individuals tend to go for green. Using Color PositivelyApart from recognizing whether something suits you or not, an inner sense tells you which color to wear. Deny this feeling and you could be ignoring a benevolent influence. For example, red increase's energy and promotes free movement. For a woman it can reflect changes in the reproductive cycle such as menstruation or ovulation. If you have a sudden desire to wear red it could indicate that you are about to experience a tiring day and need all the help you can get. Interestingly when traffic lights were first introduced people had great difficulty stopping for the red light because on a psychological level red means “GO” and green means “STOP.”

Why do you look great in something one day and the next time you wear the same outfit it looks dreadful? It is because the color no longer reflects who you are in that moment. Wearing a color can cause you to act and react to life in different ways. Your choice offers insight into current life issues and can, in some instances warn of potential illness.

Color and IllnessEach color has positive attributes or truths and the opposites of these are challenges. For instance, the truth of blue symbolizes faith and communication. The challenge is a lack of faith, depression, and difficulty with speech. Conscious awareness of the colors you choose to wear can offer insight into potential change in your life. For example, Illness of some kind can be indicated when a color that is out of character is worn frequently. If red is worn regularly it could point to a physical condition, blue an emotional imbalance, and yellow a nervous state.Dis-ease means that we are out of balance, color can help to re-balance and make us whole again. Red is good for improving circulation and orange has been found to be beneficial for children with autism. Green is useful for calming and balancing the heart, and is supposed to influence regeneration of cells and elimination of toxins. This is the basis of Color Therapy. Color healing was used in the temples of Heliopolis in Ancient Egypt, as well as in China and India. Hippocrates, the founder of modern day medicine, placed colored strips on cuts to aid in the healing process.The Gray AreasBlack is a popular non-color, often worn to suppress and protect the emotions. Any color worn with it is a paradox since it represents unrealized potential. The promise of power that black evokes lies within the consciousness of the wearer. Combined with another color it augurs control over its influence. With red it controls physical power and yellow intellectual power. White on the other hand highlights a color and worn alone symbolizes a clean palate, completion, purity, cleansing, and strength. The challenges of white are those that accompany a new start, anger, vulnerability, and tears. Gray is the combination of black and white and symbolizes the diversity of the two creating a state of caution.

Combining ColorsWhen colors are combined each influence reflects off the other. Wearing green with red puts a different slant on the meanings. As green means stop and red means go, these colors together can signify a difficult decision, usually involving staying or leaving a situation.

Wearing these colors can aid in the decision making process through the vibratory influence of each color. Color TherapyWhether it's a date or an interview, think about the impression you want to make. Use this information to plan your wardrobe and achieve the greatest impact. The truth of each color symbolizes potential, the challenges indicate blockage. Wearing a color can stimulate and/or counteract either of these energies. For example, if you are lecturing wear blue, for a steamy night of passion bring out the red dress, and if it's attention you are seeking opt for the limitlessness of yellow. If you wear more than one color combine the meanings and create your own new potentials and challenges. RedSymbolizing awakening red exudes power, energy, and a passion for life. Red is known to heal sexual difficulties and anemia.Truth: movement,new beginnings, decisions, passion, love, energy, life, security.Challenge: anger, frustration, lethargy, nervousness.Wear red when:

You want your sexuality to exude from your being. Your energy is low and you need a boost. You want to be more assertive and want to make things happen faster.

Don’t wear red when:

You are feeling nervous You don?t want attention You are feeling frustrated and angry with everyone.

OrangeOften worn by eastern aesthetics, orange is associated with vibrant health. It has the same vibrational frequency as DNA, the template of all human cells. This color is known to heal shock.Truth: creativity, new ideas, confidence, joy; sensuality, ambition; sports, childhoodChallenge: shock, fear of survival, dependency, letting go, controlWear orange when:

You want to have fun and your sensual circuits need the boost. You need to heal your emotions. You want to heighten your creativity.

Don't wear orange when:

You want to relax your feminine/masculine charms. You feel restless. You want to take a rest.

YellowA color often worn by entertainers, because it makes them stand out in a crowd and confronts the challenge of being center of attention. Yellow is known to heal the digestive tract.Truth: freedom, optimism, mental activity, concentration, open-mindednessChallenge: fear,no boundaries, negativity, timidityWear yellow when:

You need to attend to details. You are studying and need to keep your mind awake. You want to infuse some joy into your life.Don’t wear yellow when:

You feel fear. You don?t want to be the center of attention. You want to relax your mind.GreenThose seeking their own identity, fulfillment of their heart's desire, and/or are searching for a new direction, are drawn to wear this color.

By doing so they are challenged to find ways of creating their own abundance. Green heals the heart, eases tension, and regenerates cells.Truth: security, abundance, nature, heart matters, new space/beginnings,balanceChallenge: unrealistic, shying away from people/society,stagnancyWear green when:

You want to see things from a different perspective. You desire to feel more space around you. You need to feel like both feet are on the ground.

Don’t wear green when:

You are confused about where life is taking you. You feel your life is stagnant. You don?t want to face the truth of a situation.

BlueTrue blue symbolizing devotion to duty worn by most authority figures - nurses, policemen, etc. Anyone who consistently wears blue are deep thinkers and tend to re-energize by seeking their own company above that of others. Truth: authority; peace, organized, practical, devotion, structure, communicationChallenge: aloofness, control issues, isolation, depression, martyrdomWear blue when:

You want to exude an air of calm authority. You need to be more organized. You want to communicate something important.

Don’t wear blue when:

You are feeling isolated or lonely. You feel depressed. You are being too critical of both yourself and others.

VioletViolet can indicate major change and a need to retreat, as a caterpillar retreats into a cocoon before it transforms into a butterfly.Truth: transformation, spiritual self-realization, truth, creativity, recovery, healing Challenge: pain, misuse of power, bruising, looking for a way out, grief, unemotionalWear violet when:

You want to transform something in your life. You are seeking purpose in your life. You need to let go of destructive behavior or addictions.

Don't wear violet when:

You are daydreaming instead of doing. You want to turn your back on society. You suffer grief but your emotions are blocked.

PinkPink symbolizes unconditional love. Wearing it encourages a sense of affection, increases sensitivity, and challenges you to confront your vulnerabilities. Truth: unconditional love, affection, flirting, open to love, hearingChallenge: lack of self-love/self-esteem, healing grief, immaturity, vulnerableWear pink when:

You want to feel feminine and vulnerable. You want others to love you instantly. You need to concentrate and listen.Don't wear pink when:

You feel vulnerable and insecure. You are giving all the time and not receiving. You feel fragmented.BrownThe symbolism of color is based in part on the natural world.

For instance soil offers some insight into the meaning of brown - needed to grow food, without it we would be challenged to find ways to survive. Truth: security, practicality, work, money, commitments, determination to succeedChallenge: loss of security; lack of money; fear of survivalWear brown when:

You need to get down to some hard work. You want to organize your finances You want to feel that everything in your life is going well.Don't wear brown when:

You want to expend lots of energy. You are feeling too bogged down with things. You are not interested in hard work and want to play instead.TurquoiseKnown to enhance healing of the immune system, useful for illnesses such as AIDS. Native Americans use the semi-precious stone Turquoise as an allergy healer, also an autoimmune condition. Truth: communication, lecturing; media, creativity, immune system healerChallenge: inability/unwilling to communicate, poor defense, rejection Wear turquoise when:

You are lecturing - especially around the throat. You want to tap into your creativity through dance, music, art, etc. You want to connect with your own spirituality.Don’t wear turquoise when:

You feel rejected. You don’t want to talk about it!? You are more interested in yourself and not others.About this contributor: Elizabeth Harper is an intuitive counselor, color therapist, healer, teacher, and author of "InTuition," and "Sealed with a Wish." Harper currently works and teaches at The Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in New York State as well as traveling throughout the United States giving workshops and consultations. Her website is www.sealedwithlove.com

·.»§« ·´¯`·.,¸¸,.·´¯`·.»§« please include ss tag thank you·.»§« ·´¯`·.,¸¸,.·´¯`·.»§«